Outboard engine mounting device



OUTBOARD ENGINE MOUNTING DEVICE Filed Dec. 17, 1949 Ill INVENTOR: J MESE. FILL 2 5pm.

Patented Nov. 17, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE OUTBOARD ENGINEMOUNTING DEVICE James E. Gillespie, Toledo, Ohio Application December17, 1949, Serial No. 133,650

1 Claim. 11

This invention relates to brackets for mounting outboard engines onsmall craft.

An object of this invention is to provide a bracket wh ch may beattached to any small craft adapted to mount an outboard engine and inturn provide an auxiliary support for an outboard engine, which supportmay be rotated 360 in a substantially horizontal plane.

Another object of this invention is to provide a mount for an outboardengine which mount provides for an increase in the maneuverability ofthe engine.

Another object of this invention is to provide an intermediate turretmount for an outboard engine which mount may be carried by craftengaging clamps,

Another object of this invention is to provide an accessory for outboardengines of the nonreversible type which permits them to be actuated as arudder or for full reverse propulsion.

Another object of this invention is to provide a portable bracket formounting a non-reversible type of outboard engine onto a craft whichbracket may. in turn, allow a reversible action by the engine.

Other objects and advantages of this invention relating to thearrangement, operation and function of the related elements of thestructure, to various details of construction, to combinations of partsand to economies of manufacture,

will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of thefollowing description and appended claim, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein likereference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of an outboard engine bracket, embodying featuresof the invention herein;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line IIII, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view of a portion of a bearing mountingregion of the turret rim;

Fig. 4 is a View on the line IVIV, Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the vertical bearings;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the lateral bearing elements; and

Fig. l is a perspective View of a modified or cage construction for oneof the concentric mounting members.

Small craft iii of a type adapted to be propelled by an outboard engineattached thereto is provided with stern l2. Heretofore, when certaintypes of outboard engines were directly mounted on the stern I2, theirutility was limited. This was particularly true of the more economicaland simpler forms of engines Whose housings were fixed relative to theirmounting means, and included no reversing gear.

To increase the utility particularly of this type of engine, to matchthe maneuvering ability and craft control of even the most costly andflexible types of Outboards, there is provided herein, an auxiliary stemelement, or more exactly a secondary stern piece I4, mounted by suitablesupports I6 attached to ring l8 as an element of a turret construction.This turret may be fabricated to meet various demands and an acceptableassembly is disclosed herein meeting both factory production standardsas well as the rigid requirements found in the use of devices in thisfield.

This auxiliary stern element may be a wooden plate diametricallypositioned across the turret or preferably along a chord thereofsomewhat removed from the diameter. This plate serves as a suitablemeans adapted to receive and retain clamps 2%] of engine 22 and in theoff diameter position permits the propeller shaft 24 to be fixedcoaxially with the turret and furthermore provides ample clearance 26through which the propeller may be lowered to bring the clamps 20 ontothe supporting bar I 4 for positioning the engine in craft propellingposition.

A first ring-shaped member 28 is provided to form a substantiallyhorizontal track 38 extending outwardly from the craft and removablymountable by clamps 32 engaging the stern 12 or other desired craftpart. This track provides a run-way for the turret or second ring-shapedelement I8 permitting a full 360 rotation of the second ring memberwithin the first ring member.

Suitable interconnecting mounting means are formed by attaching rings34, 36, to the top and bottom of the turret element it by suitablemeans, to provide peripheral flanges overlapping the upper track 30 aswell as lower track 38 about the lower edge of the member I 8. To insurea smooth, minimum efiort rolling motion, vertical thrust bearings 40 aredisposed between the tracks and flanges and a suitable constructionincludes the removable mounting of such bearings on the flanges. Thisarrangement simplifies assembly and replacements.

To hold the proper lateral coaxial assembly of the turret on the track,bearings 42 may be placed therebetween and a desirable constructionincludes the removable attachment of these latter r a) bearing elementsto the turret member I8 with their attaching means available from theturret interior.

With this portable bracket in position and clamped to the craft, and theengine clamped to the bar It, the engine, even though of thenonreversible types, may propel the craft and be manipulated to steerits progress and even be rotated to a full reverse position as manuallyoperated by the tiller 44 usually part of the engine structure suppliedby the engine manufacturer.

The weight of the parts and the character of the materials employed maybe factors in accommodating various engines, craft and combinationsthereof and it may be desirable to skeletonize the ring members or suchmay be fabricated from narrow Width rings 45 and slats 48 properlypositioned and fixed therewith (Fig. 7).

It is to be understood that the above detailed description of thepresent invention is intended to disclose an embodiment thereof to thoseskilled in the art, but that the invention is not to be construed aslimited in its application to the details of construction andarrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since theinvention is capable of being practiced and carried out in various wayswithout departing from the spirit of the invention. The language used inthe specification relating to the operation and function of th elementsof the invention is employed for purposes of description and not oflimitation, and it is not intended to limit the scope of the followingclaim beyond the requirements of the prior art.

What is claimed and is desired to secure by United States Letters Patentis:

An outboard engine mounting comprising a first cylindrical ringproviding upper and lower tracks at its opposite ends and anintermediate track about the interior thereof, means for mounting saidring in a substantially horizontal plane and in a substantially verticalposition relatively to the exterior of a craft, a turret providing asecond ring coaxially disposed within said first ring and radiallyspaced therefrom, said second ring having outwardly projecting flangeelements overhanging the end tracks of said first ring, seats in saidsecond ring and in its flanges, bearing carrying elements mounted insaid seats, bearings carried by such elements engaging the first ringprovided tracks, and a bar carried substantially vertically by theturret extending thereacross on an off-center chord positioned toprovide working space between the turret and each side of the bar, saidbar being adapted to carry and provide access to clamp mounting por'tions of an engine.

JAMES E. GILLESPIE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,774,956 W'ilson Sept. 2, 1930 1,894,710 Samuelson Jan. 17,1933 1,895,696 Witire Jan. 31, 1933 2,238,168 Goodwin Apr. 15, 19412,389,726 C-codhue Nov. 27, 1945

